BUSY DAYS HAVE US MOVING RIGHT ALONG (literally, moving)

Let the countdown begin for Ray this March 1st!  He has 19 days of work left to go (he is taking one day off this Friday to drive to his mom's--delivering goods of an antique sewing machine back to her and bags and bags of clothing for those relatives and friends in need nearby).  Woo hoo.  No, they don't have his replacement yet, but they are working on it.  Looks like he might have one week of training with whoever steps in.  My job replacement is a bit easier.  Step in and perform dental hygiene duties with a certain protocol to follow, but dental hygienists out of school don't need additional training to start at an office (just need to know how the office runs, etc, and the woman replacing me has worked in the office for six years--easy enough--she knows what to expect).  Yesterday, I decided to be a patient at my office and have some dental work done while it is of lower cost to me.  I had one very large white filling in a tooth that had sharp edges, and a crown in the future had been treatment planned for this six year molar.  And I have an eighteen year old veneer in the front (bottom) that doesn't blend anymore, so for cosmetic reasons (and low cost to me again), I decided it was time to replace the veneer.  While in the chair, and getting very numb, it was determined that a filling along the gumline had fallen out, so that would be replaced as well as a small, tiny cavity (yes, even those who floss daily can get cavities) was discovered in an adjacent tooth when preparing that molar for a crown.  Two hours later and looking paralyzed on one side of my face, I had been crowned, re-filled and filled some more.  The veneer is waiting until the next visit!   It made sense to be crowned now after having just won Queen of the Prom last weekend!

Then it was off to Goodwill for two more drop offs!  I think this part of our moving "journey" is almost done.  A co-worker just bought our lawn mower and water hose with reel, she may have interest in our sunroom furniture, she picked up a few items destined for Goodwill along the way, and another co-worker is picking up the remaining Christmas Villages that I have stashed away.  The rest seems to be kitchen items.  Our daughter has to sort through the cabinets and drawers first.  She does want the bread machine (didn't even know I still had one!) and the waffle maker.  My mother-in-law, having just bought a waffle maker, would like the blender (if her granddaughter hasn't claimed it first).  My car being empty of stuff and almost empty of gas had me headed to Costco for said gas (it is $3.42 for premium there) and also to try out a pair of $1900 with remote control hearing aids!  And to think the audiologist I saw a few weeks ago wanted $5000 for the same pair!  Ninety minutes later, and without even bothering to look in the mirror (hey, I can hear now so why should I care how I look--I will let you know after a few days at work with my hair pulled back, if I care), I was eating some snacks and shopping for our dinner.

This made it to Goodwill.  I held onto the pieces for a while, but alas, I had to let them go.

Same with these huge candle sticks (!).  My dad's taste, not ours.  And I can't pack them!

As usual, I-95 traveling north at nine am and also south at twelve pm was challenging.  You know, road construction.  One lane shut down here and another there.  A little slow going, but I better get used to this since my commute is only five weeks away!  Once home, I put the top down on my car (it's twenty degrees outside) solely to be able to load it up with things going to the lake house.  With the top down, I could gently place things over the top of the doors to get them stuffed into the back seat.  Then, the top goes back up, and I load the trunk.  It was at this time I checked myself in the mirror.  My hair was a mess which made seeing the dark brown hearing aids (to match that part of my hair haha) impossible.  Back in the car and off to the lake house I go.  Yet again, I-95 south was now congested, because Mr. Policeman had pulled some guy over to give him a ticket (guess this was when he could have been speeding because we were driving about 25mph).  Once we all passed the speeding demon getting a ticket, it was 75mph the rest of the way!  I was by myself trying to notice sounds.  Thirty years ago with a new hearing aid, all I could hear in my first drive in the car was the wind against the window and not the radio.  Technology has come a long way!  These babies were calibrated right, and in a week I will go back and have some fine tuning done.  Me, Tom and the computer hopefully will get them to where it makes sense to continue wearing them (24 hours later and so far so good--a little adjustment on the part that is pulling on my ear is necessary but that is easy enough.).

Once at the lake house, I unloaded all of my stuff.  Into the bedroom, kitchen, garage, and what we call the executive suite (makes the guest room sound so lovely) things were deposited.  Just as I sat down with a light snack, Ray walked in with all of his stuff.  We both needed a break though.  Me from running around all day and through the house dropping things off here and there, and him from the commute to the lake house.  He discovered his wife has bionic ears, and now he will have to watch what he says.  After about an hour of rest, we unloaded Ray's car.  Most of the things were our daughter's totes that went into the shed.  The best part of the unloading (poor Ray's core is so sore from this moving!) was when Ray said something to me in the shed.  He was bent over placing a bin under the shelf, and I was turning around to walk away.  I commented back to him "right" (as in agreeing with him).  He repeated what he said assuming I had just asked "what?".  Excellent!  Funny!  He naturally expected to have to repeat himself and just did it.  But he didn't have to....yay!
Then, in our bedroom, my back was to the door while unloading my closet (we were purging our clothes to make room for all of the things coming to this house from our other house--still with me here?).  I heard humming.  I turned around and saw Ray standing there and just figured he was humming right behind me, but I had heard it for a minute or so.  So I asked him if he had been humming at the point or up the hallway.  Yep, you are right!  He had started humming up the hallway, and the crowned Queen over there had heard him.  So it has only been a day, and it has only been while with Ray, but so far I am liking the world of hearing.  As long as I can delete the background noise when it comes up.  Today we are seeing a movie and shopping at Costco.  I can't wait to interact with others and see (hear?) what happens!  Ninety days to try them!  Or money back guaranteed!

In the bundle pack, Costco's Resound brand hearing aids even throw bottle water and candy in the goodie bag. 

Ray wants to stop moving things for a while.  He is feeling sore these days.  His core is super sore as I told him.  Always good to work the core (like I would really know!).  Time to treat ourselves to movie theater popcorn and some resting of the brain (I missed two words in the entire movie--nice!).  Busy bees will slow down a bit here until next weekend when we load his car up for his trip to Tazewell!  Once home from the movies though, we loaded his car up with a braided rug for our daughter's classroom and two bins of kitchen items to pass along to her.  We cannot wait to see her tomorrow and to catch up on things face to face.  The new owners of our house moved in more things last night and today.  They are amazing!  I even have more food in case we really get snowed in on Monday (5-10 inches of snow now being called for)!  They brought in more shelving and put macaroni, soups, veggies and lots of peanut butter on the shelves in our basement.  I also eyed some Coach purses haha.  Wonder what they will move in tomorrow?

I am super excited for tomorrow because we will see our daughter.  I am also excited because our friends are seeing not one, but two houses for us tomorrow.  They are seeing a two bedroom house and a three bedroom condominium.  I can't wait to read their email and get their opinions on both of these rental possibilities.  For now, I will read forums and blogs about Carnivale in Panama that has begun, and I will daydream about next year at this time when I can enjoy the parties and festivities.  Remembering to pack ear plugs though!  I doubt there's much sleep going on at night with the music and fireworks going off all night.  I asked Ray today "if we were practicing Lent (giving up something until Easter which is what I did growing up as a practicing Catholic), what would you give up?"  And he said appropriately, "work".  Good answer!  19 days...